


Hold My Hand Until It's Over

by Golden_Asp



Series: MCU Drabbles [11]
Category: Doctor Strange (2016), Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Character Death, I Made Myself Cry, Immortality, M/M, Old Age, this is sad y'all
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-18
Updated: 2020-09-18
Packaged: 2021-03-07 20:53:57
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 544
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26533921
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Golden_Asp/pseuds/Golden_Asp
Summary: If Stephen had known this would be the cost of becoming Sorcerer Supreme, he never would've taken up the mantle.It wasn't fair.Tony was old, and Stephen wasn't.
Relationships: Tony Stark/Stephen Strange
Series: MCU Drabbles [11]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1117584
Comments: 9
Kudos: 77





	Hold My Hand Until It's Over

**Author's Note:**

  * For [ABitNotGoodieBag](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ABitNotGoodieBag/gifts).



> Another from the list of prompts I asked for! This one got super sad and I'm sorry? (a little sorry. Maybe). Whatever, we all know sad is my wheelhouse, apparently, and I'm back on my bullshit. 
> 
> If you would like to ask for a prompt, here's the list on my twitter. Just reply with a number and a pairing.  
> [ Prompt tweet](https://twitter.com/golden_asp/status/1306296900144959489?s=20)
> 
> not beta-ed

Stephen stood at the door to the room, resting his forehead against the doorjamb. His scarred hand wrapped around the doorknob but he didn’t twist it, not yet. He couldn’t.

He could, but he didn’t want to. He didn’t want to be faced with the consequences of his choice.

If he had known when he took up the mantle of Sorcerer Supreme, would he have done it?

He couldn’t dwell on it. He knew the answer.

_It’s not about you._

He opened the door and walked in, taking a moment to stare at the man in his bed. Tony Stark was asleep, breathing shallowly. The man hadn’t been able to take a deep breath in years and it had only gotten worse as the decades slipped past.

Stephen stared at him, taking in the lines on his face and the shock of silver hair. He walked forward, pushing down his grief.

He had spent the last thirty years watching Tony get older while he never aged. A side effect of being Sorcerer Supreme, immortality he never wanted. 

He sat on the edge of the bed and took Tony’s hand. It was cool to the touch, skin papery thin. Tony’s eyes fluttered open and he took a few minutes to focus on Stephen, those warm, brown eyes lighting up when he saw the other man.

“Stephen,” Tony said, smiling.

“Hello, Tony,” Stephen replied, leaning over and kissing Tony gently on the lips. Tony hummed into the kiss for a moment, falling back with a hacking cough. Stephen’s face twisted and he did his best to hide his sadness.

“Stop that,” Tony said, wiping the spittle from his mouth. “I got way more time than I ever expected. I should’ve died all those years ago in Afghanistan.”

“Tony…”

Tony smiled at Stephen and Stephen could see the peace in his face. They had both known this was coming, each day pulling Tony farther and farther into a place Stephen wouldn’t be able to follow.

“Stephen, it’s okay,” Tony said, resting back against the pillows.

“No, it’s not,” Stephen whispered.

Tony looked at Stephen, still so young looking even after all this time. He had been angry, at first, when he realized that Stephen wasn’t aging. Then he was horrified. How long would Stephen live? How many friends would Stephen see wither and age while he remained the same? It was a horrible fate. Tony found he relished aging; he never thought he’d die of old age.

He didn’t want to leave Stephen, but he was tired, so very tired.

“Stephen?” he said, his voice hoarse.

“Yes?” Stephen said, his voice cracking. It was almost time. He could feel it. He was still Master of the Time Stone and even he couldn’t stop death.

“Hold my hand until it’s over?”

Stephen choked back a sob and gently took one of Tony’s hands in both of his. Tony managed a smile, his eyes slipping closed.

Stephen sat next to him, clinging to Tony’s weathered hand, tracing the canyons in his skin. 

He listened to Tony’s rattling breaths.

Inhale.

Exhale.

Inhale.

Exhale.

Inhale.

Exhale.

Silence.

Stephen let out a broken sob and leaned over, pressing his forehead against Tony’s silent chest.

He never once let go of Tony’s hand.

**Author's Note:**

> comments and kudos are love


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